800,000 MEALS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21900, 19 December 1945, Page 2

800,000 MEALS

WHARF NIGHT SHIFTS SCHEME IN WAR YEARS About 800,000 meals were provided for waterside workers employed on night shifts at Auckland from July, 1941, until last October, stated a letter received by the Auckland Harbour Board from the manager of the Auckland Catering Company, Mr. W. R. Taylor. The night shifts started in April, 1941, and in the first few months additional meals were provided by another company. According to a report from the engineer-superintendent of the board, Mr. D. Holderness, the Waterfront Control Commission subsequently entered into an arrangement with a group of persons who formed the Auckland Catering Company. The company had occupied a kitchen set up in the waterside workers’ rooms in the Port Building rent free, but had installed its own cooking appliances. Some idea of the extra costs, apart from overtime payments, the night shifts imposed on shipping may be gained from the fact that charges for the meals ranged from 3s 6d to 4s 9d each during the period, according to the number of men served each night. These charges were paid direct by the shipping companies, or, in the case of men employed by the Americans, by the New Zealand public through reverse lendlease. Substantial full-course hot meals were served in the early hours of the morning to hundreds of men. The night shift started at 11 p.m. and ceased at 7 a.m. Men working on different ships were allotted various times to have their meal and a paid break of up to 40 minutes, according to the wharf at which they were working, was allowed. Charges for the meals were reduced by the Auckland Catering Company when it started operations, and there were other reductions during the period, said Mr. Taylor. Reductions made by the company after it had commenced its contract had resulted in a saving to shipping interests of about £IO,OOO.